Answers
by georgiasf
Summary: Set during the Glee/ It's A Wonderful Life crossover in Glee, Actually. Artie wants more answers than what the dismembered Glee Club has to offer, so he goes to Kurt. Mostly Kartie, with a dash of Klaine at the end. TW: suicide, cancer


"Who's Blaine?" Kurt asked, before turning around to head to his next class. Artie stood shell-shocked. He had to get more answers about everyone's lives now than just "the Glee Club never existed". Kurt might be freaked out, but he was the only one that hadn't insulted him yet. He tapped Kurt's shoulders and he spun around quickly, fearing it was another locker shove.

"Hey. I'm sorry if I'm freaking you out but…can we go out and talk? Like after school at the Lima Bean?" Artie asked, hoping Kurt would accept.

"Um…sure." Kurt still clutched his books to his chest and looked around, leaning closer to Artie. "But can we go somewhere other than the Lima Bean? I work there and…not nice people show up after school." The second part of his sentence he barely spoke above a whisper, watching some gossipy Cheerios pass by.

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Anything to get Kurt to see Artie as more than "just another jock".

"Um, okay." He awkwardly nodded as he walked away. Artie bit his lip, fearing the worst had happened to his fellow glee clubbers.

—-

They ended up at a Starbucks on the other side of town. Artie sat across from Kurt with his coffee in hand. Kurt was still hesitant about meeting with someone who helped throw him in a dumpster last week. But, even with the quick change of heart, Kurt was desperate for a friend, or someone that wouldn't mock him at least. He still sat closer to the door, just in case.

Artie wasn't really sure how to start the conversation. "_This isn't real. I'm from an alternate universe where we're close friends and Finn Hudson is your step-brother._" No, that might scare him off. But he had to start _somewhere_. "I know this seems really weird, but trust me, it's weirder for me than it is for you." Kurt simply pursed his lips and nodded, sipping his mocha.

"Considering you've helped throw me in dumpsters and lock me in port-a-potties, this is _very_ weird."

Artie cringed. He could never see himself doing such _awful_ things to anyone, but that was when he couldn't even _stand_. "To make this less…awkward…just forget everything I might have done to you okay? I'm…just yeah." If any sci-fi movie he's ever seen was right, telling someone you're from a different universe could only end badly. Kurt merely nodded, keeping his eyes downcast. Artie decided on his first of a long line of questions. "Did Schuester ever start the glee club?"

Kurt sighed. He could tell this would be a long afternoon, but at least it'd be better than his normal afternoons where he tended his injuries and did his homework. "He tried to, sophomore year. Me, Rachel Berry, Mercedes Jones and Tina Cohen-Chang were the only ones that signed up. We couldn't get enough members to compete, so it dissolved after a semester. Schue became the school drunk after that. Don't know why he hasn't been fired yet."

"What happened with the girls?"

"Well, I never heard from Tina again, really. Mercedes and I were barely more than classmates, and she transferred her junior year to a different school. Rachel and I…She was the closest thing I had to a friend really." Artie smiled; glad that something in this crazy dream was similar to real life. "The same year we got put together as English partners, which gave us more opportunity to talk. We really only bonded over our love of Broadway, though." He quickly looked up at Artie, hoping he wasn't going to laugh at him or throw his drink in his face. "I think she liked having me around because I was the only one that would listen to her and not throw a slushie at her face. We never were really more than friends. Just people who didn't hate each other, even if she dressed like an 8 year old some days. I think she stayed behind to work in the library just to watch out for me." Kurt took a deep breath. No one ever really listened to his stories from school, except his dad. He stayed still, hoping Artie wouldn't give up on him yet.

The wheels in Artie's mind were churning. He almost missed Mercedes now, wondering where she had gone off to. He had closure for three of the former glee club members, which was a good start. He sipped his coffee, wondering if he should ask about the other football players. Seems like they've stayed the same since before they joined the club in the real world. The football players led directly to the cheerleaders in his mind, so he decided to ask about them. "What happened with Quinn Fabray?"

Kurt shrugged, never really caring about the girl. "She had a baby at the end of sophomore year, then got right back up as her spot as queen bee of the Cheerios, for some reason unbeknownst to me. Died earlier this year texting and driving. We had a big assembly about the dangers of it, but no one besides the cheerleaders really paid attention." It was a pity, really, on how Kurt felt about her death. They never spoke more than two words to each other, and he knew she was whispering about his fashion sense whenever he saw her looking at him. Her death came more as an "oh well" to him than an "oh no what a tragedy".

"What about her sidekicks, Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce?" Artie hoped he wasn't asking too many questions. Kurt was just glad somebody besides his teachers and Rachel would talk to him.

"Dunno, really. Santana is just as bitchy as Quinn was, and Brittany got held back, mainly because she thinks you can write essays in crayons." Kurt rolled his eyes. "She was in my biology class last year and asked me if she could write a biography of her cat and if the teacher would accept it." He laughed lightly at the memory and Artie joined in, also missing his ex-girlfriend's loveable cat. He wondered if Santana was still in the closet, or if she still slept with other girl's boyfriends.

Artie ticked off the names in his head. He assumed Kurt wouldn't know about the kids that joined this year, and eliminating jocks and other members left him to…himself. He could see himself mocking the sign-up sheet, writing names like _Hugh Jass_ down with his fellow football players. He looked back over at Kurt. Kurt still had this perpetually sad look to him. Rachel seemed like a distant friend, and as far as Artie knew, his dad seemed like the only person outside of school who supported him. "How's your dad doing? I mean…if you want to talk about him. We don't have to if you want-"

"It's fine." Kurt politely interrupted. "He's…well he could be better. He had a minor heart attack a couple years ago, but he's recovered well since then. But…the doctors have found…prostate cancer, in him." Kurt's voice cracked at the word "cancer" but he blinked his tears away and took a deep breath, not wanting to cry in front of Artie. "They say it's easily curable, but we just don't know. Almost all of my paychecks go to the medical bills and he's had to cut back on work for his health…" Another deep breath. "We just have to wait and see."

Artie was speechless. Without the support of Carole, or Glee Club, he wondered how the two Hummels made it without completely breaking. "Kurt, I'm so sorry." Kurt brushed it off, assuming he didn't mean it. Hardly anyone did. This bugged Artie, and he wanted to know more. "What about you, Kurt?" He looked up with tears in his confused eyes. "How…How is your life?" Another deep sigh came from him as he looked out the window of the coffee shop.

"Honestly? My life sucks. I have to repeat my senior year of high school because the people at McKinley either think they have to make my life a living hell or watch others do so. And it's not like once I graduate life looks good either. I can't even afford community college if my dad's still sick. My only friends are Rachel, but she barely counts, and my dad. If it wasn't for him…" Kurt looked distant, lifeless. "I probably would have killed myself." Artie's eyes widened, but he tried not to let anymore shock show. "I've thought about it a couple of times. He needs my help, and I couldn't bear the thought of giving him the added stress of losing his only son." He sipped his now cold coffee, wishing the tears would go away. He never imagined spilling out how pathetic his life is to someone he barely knows. Artie held out a napkin for him and he angrily wiped his tears away, internally cussing at himself for crying in a public place.

As Kurt was recomposing himself, Artie noticed a guy about their age in a private school uniform walk in the doors. _Blaine!_ He was by himself as he went to stand in line. He nudged Kurt and pointed to Blaine. "Do you know him?" he asked. Kurt shook his head no, the tears gone from his face now.

"He sometimes comes into the Lima Bean with a group of guys from his school, but I've never seen him by himself before."

Artie got excited. Maybe he could make something right in this depressing reality. "Wait right here." He got up from their little table and walked over to Blaine. Kurt shook his head, wishing Artie would come back over. Blaine had just ordered his drink as Artie came up to him. "You're Blaine, right?"

Blaine turned around with a confused look on his face. "Yeah, uh, how do you know my name?"

Artie quickly recovered. "I saw you perform at Sectionals a couple weeks ago. Your name was in the pamphlet. You were amazing."

"Thanks," he smiled. "Glad you enjoyed the show." He picked up his coffee and turned to head out.

"Um, my friend wants to meet you." He pointed over to Kurt, who quickly turned his head when Blaine looked over.

"Uh, okay. I've got some time." They walked over to the table. Kurt was still avoiding looking at the pair.

"Kurt," Artie gently encouraged, finally making him look up. "This is Blaine. Blaine this is my friend, Kurt." They both awkwardly said hello. Kurt looked at the boy, glad he could finally put a name to the handsome face. Artie broke the awkward silence. "Kurt likes musicals and Broadway."

"Really?" Blaine's face lit up and he looked back over to Kurt. "I love Broadway shows." Kurt looked at him surprised. A pretty boy like him didn't seem to be into musical theater.

"Y-yeah," Kurt finally spoke. "What's your favorite musical?" Blaine pointed at the chair, and Kurt nodded before he sat down.

"I dunno. I mean, I saw_ Phantom of the Opera_ in New York itself last summer, but I _really_ like _Wicked_ and _Memphis_."

"I _love_ _Wicked_." Kurt's eyes lit up as they continued talking about musicals Artie's never heard of. He picked up his coffee and slowly started heading out of the restaurant. He was glad he got the two boys to meet, even almost 2 years late. He still stood outside in the cold, watching Kurt and Blaine talk and laugh. Even if it looked creepy to others, he felt like a proud parent.

"You did good." Rory was suddenly with him, watching Kurt and Blaine as well. Artie turned to Rory, the smile never leaving his face.

"I'm glad I did something right." Rory patted Artie's back and they walked away from Kurt and his first _real_ friend.


End file.
